5 children, woman dead in Russian fire

MOSCOW – A woman and her five children reportedly have died in a house fire in central Russia.

According to the Emergencies Ministry, the fire broke out Friday night in the house in the Leningorsk region of Tatarstan, about 950 kilometers (600 miles) east of Moscow and the building was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.

Russian news reports said the dead included a mother and her five children, but official statements did not specify the victims' relationship. The woman's husband was hospitalized with severe burns, the ministry said.

Russia's Investigative Committee said preliminary indicators point to improper electrical wiring or careless use of fire as the cause of the blaze.